Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
located in the Klamath Basin
along a portion of the northern California
and southern Oregon
border near Klamath Falls, Oregon
. It was designated a National Historic Landmark
on October 16, 1965.
Lower Klamath NWR, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, was the first waterfowl refuge in the United States. It has a total area of 50912.68 acres (206.04 km²), of which 44294.55 acres (179.25 km²) are in California and 6618.13 acres (26.78 km²) are in Oregon. The refuge includes shallow freshwater marsh
es, open water, grassy uplands, and croplands that are intensively managed to provide feeding, resting, nesting, and brood rearing habitat for waterfowl and other water birds. A marked 10 miles (16.1 km) auto tour allows visitors year round access for wildlife viewing. The Refuge also has a number of blinds for wildlife photographers.
Refuge Objectives:
Significant species:
Current Issues of Concern:
Public Uses:
Ongoing Management Activities:
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
located in the Klamath Basin
Klamath Basin
The Klamath Basin is the region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. It contains most of Klamath County and parts of Lake and Jackson counties in Oregon, and parts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties in California. The drainage basin...
along a portion of the northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
border near Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
. It was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
on October 16, 1965.
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, open water, grassy uplands, and croplands that are intensively managed to provide feeding, resting, nesting, and brood rearing habitat for waterfowl and other water birds. A marked 10 miles (16.1 km) auto tour allows visitors year round access for wildlife viewing. The Refuge also has a number of blinds for wildlife photographers.
Refuge Objectives:
- Maintain habitat for endangered, threatened and sensitive species.
- Provide and enhance habitat for fall and spring migrant waterfowl.
- Protect native habitats and wildlife representative of the natural biological diversity of the Klamath Basin.
- Integrate the maintenance of productive wetland habitats and sustainable agriculture.
- Ensure that the refuge agricultural practices conform to the principles of integrated pest management.
- Provide high quality wildlife-dependent visitor services.
- American bald eagle
- Golden eagle
- American white pelican
- White-faced ibis
- Snow, Ross’, white-fronted, & Canada geese.
- Peregrine falcon
- Pintail, mallard, gadwall, canvasback
- Western & eared grebes
- Black tern
- Tri-colored blackbird
Current Issues of Concern:
- Loss of wetlands. The Klamath Basin has lost 80% of its original wetlands
- Degraded water quality.
- Water quantity during drought years (balancing wildlife needs with basin agricultural demands). Water rights adjudication.
- Wildlife viewing areas
- Wildlife Auto Routes
- Waterfowl Hunting
- Visitor Center
- Environmental Education
- Photography Blinds
- Refuge Virtual Tour
Ongoing Management Activities:
- Extensive wetland/cropland rotation scheme.
- Implementation of a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management Program on commercial lease lands.
- Maintenance of an extensive water conveyance infrastructure.
See also
- List of largest National Wildlife Refuges
- List of National Wildlife Refuges
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